It was just past the Sandhya time (the time of sunset) on the 26th April.
Location is Thrayee Brindavanam, Bangalore, the Abode of our dear Sai, and
the Ashram premises. The occasion was the celebration of 20th year
anniversary of Thrayee Brindavanam.

Bhagavan had allowed the devotees of Bangalore as well as the students who
were still staying in Brindavanam to light one lakh (one hundred thousand)
tiny candle lamps all over the Ashram. All the devotees were invited to
participate in this Jyothise Jyothi jalaavo event. (To light one candle
from another candle and so on?) No instructions were given. Plenty of
candles were provided to devotees. It was upto them to arrange and
organize as they liked it.

The devotees used all their imaginations in arranging the candle lamps in
designs, which they developed on the spot. Many groups selected places
separately. There were lamps from the Entry gate of Ashram, in front of
overseas devotees canteen, in front of Stores and coffee shop, then taking
a turn near the book stall and along the hostel block and straight through
the roads leading to Swami?s residence. Lamps were lit on the sides of the
roads and in the middle of the road in several designs.

Devotees had taken places inside Sai Ramesh Hall to arrange the lamps. The
stage where Swami sits, the balcony, the small steps, and down near the
Ganesha idol. There were rows of lamps on either side of pathways (aisle)
made in white marbles inside the hall. IN between the pathways and also
the places where normally devotees sit inside the hall, were all utilized
to arrange lamps in various designs. Old and the young all-alike
cheerfully participated in this great seva. Within a matter of half an
hour, the entire Ashram was shining by the burning lamps.

Oh Lord! It was sheer joy to see such a delightful sight. Almost all the
Electric lights had been switched off. The whole area was glittering by
the candlelight in all its excellence and brilliance.

I too was one of those lucky persons who got the opportunity to light some
candles. While I was lighting one candle from another one, my thoughts
went back to another Divine event in which I had participated. The
occasion was lighting of Brass lamps from the Akhanda Jyothi lit by
Bhagavan Baba at Sri Sathya Sai Ananda Nilayam, Madurai. A group of 1200
devotees from Mauritius wished to take Divine Jyothi lit from the Akhanda
Jyothi from Madurai and take them to their homes. There were elaborate
Poojas and rituals at Ananda Nilayam to mark the lighting of Jyothise
Jyothi?I was most fortunate to be an instrument in carrying couple of
Lamps from Madurai to the sea port in Bombay, on its way to Mauritius.
Many devotees from Bombay took advantage of the presence of Divine Jyothi
in their city and lit their own small brass lamps for installing the
Jyothi in the altars of their homes!

Swami is taking us one more step further in our spiritual endeavors. After
daily Bhajans, it was Veda chanting daily at Prashanthi Nilayam. This had
inspired millions of devotees all over the world, to listen or even try
learning chanting of Vedas. Thousand of CD-ROMs and cassettes were sold
out at Prashanthi Nilayam and Whitefield.

Now perhaps it is time for ?Thamaso Maa Jyothir gamaya?? Lighting the
lamps in symbolic way to wipe out darkness of ignorance from our minds.
When the lamp is lit, the darkness is removed, and it brings joy to have
brilliance of light around us. Likewise, when the ignorance is removed
from our mind, the brilliance of Jnana is realized.

By organizing such a Akhanda Laksha Jyothi programme at Whitefield, Swami
is introducing another aspect of Spiritual practice, which I am sure will
be picked up by devotees across the globe during important functions. This
is perhaps the next stage of evolution in spiritual practice. This
practice takes us to ?Thamaso Maa Jyothir Gamaya??

Step-by-step, patiently Swami is guiding His devotees in the spiritual
ladder. For us it is important that we learn the spiritual significance in
each and every such devotional activity, which Swami is introducing for
His Devotees.